How to prevent and control common physiological diseases of oyster mushrooms?

    1. Mycelial overgrowth. In oyster mushroom production, mycelial overgrowth often causes the mycelium to become densely clumped, forming old mycelial skin that fails to produce mushrooms. The main causes are aging of the spawn or subculturing with aerial mycelium during the transfer of primary spawn. In production, if the mushroom house is poorly ventilated, the temperature is too high, or the film is left covering for too long, mycelial overgrowth without mushroom production can also occur. Prevention and control methods: strengthen spawn production management; during the fruiting body differentiation stage, increase the ventilation of the mushroom house and lower the temperature of the mushroom house. When old mycelial skin appears during cultivation, promptly remove the old mycelial skin, score the mycelial block and mycelial film to stimulate mushroom production.

    2. Mycelial degeneration and shrinkage. During the mycelial running or mushroom production stage, the mycelium turns yellow, turns brown, shrinks and dies. This is caused by an unsuitable carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in the substrate, or by excessively high water content, poor ventilation, or a stuffy, hot mushroom house. Prevention and control methods: adjust the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of the substrate properly, reduce the water content of the substrate, sow at the right time, and avoid high-temperature damage.

    3. Fruiting body shrinkage and death. This is mainly caused by unsuitable environmental conditions during the mushroom production period. For example, when the temperature exceeds 23°C for low-temperature varieties or exceeds 28°C for medium-temperature varieties, or when air humidity is below 80%, the fruiting bodies shrink and die due to massive, rapid evaporation of water; excessive spraying causes edema in young mushrooms, and when mushroom production is very dense, insufficient nutrients cause the young mushrooms to die from starvation. Prevention and control methods: according to the cultivation season, select suitable varieties and avoid producing mushrooms during high-temperature seasons; after mushroom buds appear, raise the humidity of the mushroom shed to 90% and increase ventilation as the fruiting bodies grow. Try to avoid spraying water directly onto the fruiting bodies.

    4. Deformed mushrooms. (1) Shrunken mushrooms: the cap is small and shrunken, the stipe is long and hard in texture. This is caused by relatively high temperature and excessively low humidity. (2) Big-foot mushrooms: only the stipe grows, and the cap does not grow. This is caused by poor ventilation and excessively high carbon dioxide concentration. (3) Long-stipe mushrooms. The stipe is slender and the cap is very small. The cause is that the film was removed too late and light was insufficient. (4) Lumps growing on the cap: this phenomenon generally occurs in winter, caused by making a fire indoors for heating during cultivation, excessively high accumulated carbon dioxide concentration, cultivation bags being close to air vents, and cold wind stimulation causing uncontrolled cap growth and the formation of lumps. Prevention and control methods: control the temperature of the mushroom house well; during the mushroom production period, it is best to keep it at 15-28°C. When high temperatures occur, cool down by sprinkling water and ventilating. During the mushroom production stage, provide about 200 lux of scattered light, maintain air humidity at about 90%, ventilate appropriately, and control the carbon dioxide concentration below 0.1%.